Syracuse football 2017: The biggest regrets from a 4-8 season

Wait 'til next year. It's all a Syracuse University football fan can do now.

Syracuse finished with 4-8 record in 2017 meaning that for the fourth straight season, SU football fans will watch bowl games come and go across their television screens and not see the Orange participate in one.

Instead of planning a December getaway to New York for the Pinstripe Bowl or Shreveport for the Independence Bowl, Orange fans will get more time to get some holiday shopping done and read up on recruiting.

How close did the Orange come to bowl eligibility? What were the plays, moments and calls they'll regret most from 2017 that could have led to an appearance in a bowl game?

Here is a look back on the biggest moments the Orange want back from 2017.

On a 4th down and 1 in the second quarter, Eric Dungey sensed the Blue Raiders jump offsides and lofted a pass to Steve Ishmael that fell incomplete. Instead of giving the ball back to the Orange on a clear offsides call, Syracuse turned it over on downs and were robbed of a scoring chance on the eight-yard line.

In the fourth quarter with Syracuse trailing 30-23, Dungey was intercepted with just over 4:00 to go. Again, it was an obvious jump offsides for the Blue Raiders that was missed and Middle Tennessee was given a possession it did not deserve.

The officiating crew also failed to flag an obvious flop in the fourth quarter when a Middle Tennessee cornerback dropped to the ground with a fake injury when he realized his team might be called for too-many-men on the field.

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Photo: AP

Not So Special Teams

Syracuse had a a number of special teams miscues --- a safety off a high snap, a muffed punt to set up a touchdown and a missed field goal that ended up costing them 12 points in a close game.

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Photo: Dennis Nett

One yard short

Despite Middle Tennessee's fourth-quarter air raid, the game wasn't decided until the final minute.

Syracuse faced a 4th-and-15 with 33 seconds remaining and 38 yards from tying the score.

Eric Dungey connected with Steve Ishmael, but he was stopped one-yard short of the 23-yard line he needed to reach for a first down.

Game over. And it led to what may rank as the most regrettable moment at the Carrier Dome in 2017.

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Photo: Stephen Bailey

Shafer's Victory Cigar

Victorious in his return to the Carrier Dome, ex-Syracuse head coach walked through the bowels of the Carrier Dome with a victory cigar in his lips.

The cigars, one for him and one for his son, Wolfgang, were put aside when Shafer learned Middle Tennessee State would be visiting the Carrier Dome early this year.

"It was bittersweet in a lot of ways," Shafer said after the game, "but far more sweet than bitter being on this Blue Raiders team right now."

As fond as some Syracuse fans are of Shafer, it was the last thing they wanted to see after a game the Orange needed to take care of business in.